Despite many logical thoughts to the contrary, somehow in the realm of prehistory it is the more out-of-the-way places that yield the most comprehensive remains. This has never proved more true than at Skara Brae, a Neolithic village on the Bay of Skaill in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Located on the north shore, this remarkable site was originally uncovered in 1850, after a series of fierce storms eroded away the last of the covering debris.

The settlement at Skara Brae occurred over a six hundred year period, from 3100 BCE to 2500 BCE. Although these dates seem remarkably early for this severe part of Britain, the first sign of human habitation in the Orkneys comes from flint scatters that date to 3800 BCE (Scarre 100). There are several occupation layers at the site and, rather than pointing to distinct phases, all evidence indicates that the development of Skara Brae was gradual and continuous throughout its six hundred year tenure (Scarre 102). For instance, House 5 predates House 4, and House 1 was built before House 2. It seems likely that each generation rebuilt, or added on to, existing structures.

Skara Brae itself is magnificent to behold. Built entirely of stone because of a lack of timber, the site is exceptionally well-preserved. But it must be understood that storm erosion over the intervening five thousand years has destroyed and/or buried parts of the village, and it may never be known how large Skara Brae actually was (Scarre 101). The houses are all about the same size, and each is patterned similarly, with the now extinct roofs occurring at, or slightly above, ground level. Stone slabs placed horizontally form the walls of the houses; slabs placed vertically on edge on either side of the door form what were once the beds. A roof was, most likely, "made of turfs, laid carefully over a framework of supports" (Scarre 103).

In all of the houses, a hearth occupies a central position. Each one is "a square shaped tray edged by upright stones" (Scarre 103) in which the inhabitants likely burned driftwood, seaweed, and/or dried turf. The position of the hearth is of interest, as well. No doubt, it was extremely useful in keeping the houses warm during the cold Orkney winters. But, it should be kept in mind, as Scarre points out, that the Latin word for hearth is ‘focus,’ and the hearths at Skara Brae were very likely the center of family life (104). Indeed, the hearths were the only source of both heat and light in the houses, and may have eventually come to symbolize domesticity.

The layout, or arrangement, of the houses may have been symbolic as well. The fact that each house is patterned the same suggest that the inhabitants "had a preordained idea of what a house should be like and what its various features meant" (Scarre 104). The basic house plan is very simple and symmetrical. Directly across from the entrance is a ‘cupboard,’ which may or may not have been used for storage or ritual use, as no substantiating evidence has been uncovered either way. In front of each ‘cupboard’ is a "stone seat" (Scarre 104), possibly used as a vantage from which to preside over family meetings; the hearth is found directly in front of the stone seat. To each side of the door and hearth, on the side walls, were the beds.

The beds are the subject of an interesting dilemma, one that has yet to be solved. During Gordon Childe’s excavations at Skara Brae in the 1920s, he noted that the bed to the right of the doorway was larger than the one on the left. Similar arrangements exist in other sites in the Hebridean Islands, and from those sites we have found that the man took the larger bed, and the woman took the smaller (Scarre 106). Since the culture was likely the same, or varied only slightly, we can assume the same is true of the people of Skara Brae. However, it begs the unanswered question: in such extended families that these people had, where did the children and elderly sleep?

Another unique feature of the settlement is the closeness of the houses. They are, to quote Scarre, "an agglomerated cluster" (100). Part of this clustering includes the passageways that connected all the houses and were covered with the same substance the roofs. The corridors were low – only a child could walk upright through them (Scarre 107). At the entrance there is a door with a drawbar; archaeologists assume that every entrance had a similar feature, but they can never be sure as so much of the site has been lost over time.

At Skara Brae, there are two freestanding structures, called House 8 and House 7. House 8 is fairly ordinary, as it has the central hearth. It does not, however, have a ‘cupboard’ or beds. This fact, along with black chert flakes and volcanic rock found in and around the structure, have led many archaeologists to believe that this was a workshop of some sort (Scarre 108). House 7, on the other hand, had a distinctly different purpose. It’s entrance functions in such a way that the building could be closed from the outside; anything inside could be locked up. Although it has the typical house features, the beds in House 7 are adorned with symbols that are carved into the sides. Such carvings are also seen in other parts of the village, but mainly on the passageways (Scarre 108). But what is most interesting is that a burial cist was found under the right bed. The cist contained the remains of two adult females, the only burial found in Skara Brae. Another interesting twist is the cattle skull found on the left bed (Scarre 109). House 7 was obviously not ordinary, but archaeologists cannot be certain if anyone occupied the house, or even if it was used for any type of ritual use.

Fascinating and revealing are terms that can be applied to Skara Brae. So, too, is maddening. For despite all the questions answered by the ancient stone village on a windswept Scottish shore, just as many questions are raised. And it these questions that continue to puzzle and intrigue and frustrate archaeologists, and all who read about or visit this unique place.

Works Cited

Manley, John. Atlas of Prehistoric Britain. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Scarre, Chris. Exploring Prehistoric Europe. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. 99-112.